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1 SIGN Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network Part of NHS Quality Improvement Scotland Rehabilitation after a stroke A booklet for patients and their carers and families Excludes Fast information on back cover.

2 If you start to feel unwell and your GP surgery is closed, phone NHS 24 on Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network ISBN First published March 2011 SIGN consents to the photocopying of this booklet for the purpose of implementation in NHSScotland

3 Contents Who is this booklet for? 2 What is this booklet about? 3 What happens to my body when I have a stroke? 4 How might a stroke affect me? 5 Where will I be cared for? 7 Who will be involved in my care? 8 How can complications be prevented? 10 What if I find it difficult to move my arm or hand? 12 What if I have trouble with balance and walking? 14 What if I have difficulty swallowing and eating? 15 What if I have trouble speaking and understanding? 16 What if I have problems with my ability to think? 17 What if I have problems with my eyesight? 18 If I have pain, how will it be managed? 19 What if I cannot control my bladder and bowels? 20 How will I feel? 21 How will I be involved in plans for leaving hospital? 22 Will I be able to have sex after I ve had a stroke? 24 How can I get back to work after a stroke? 25 Can I drive after a stroke? 26 Is there a risk I will have another stroke? 27 What information will I need? 28 Sources of information 30 1

4 Who is this booklet for? This booklet is for you if you have had a stroke. Your family, friends or carers may also find it useful. It is based on the recommendations from the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) national clinical guideline on management of patients with stroke: rehabilitation, prevention and management of complications, and discharge planning. Our guidelines are based on medical and scientific research, which involves comparing different treatments and methods of care. The guideline development group is a group of people from across Scotland who wrote the clinical guideline on which we have based this booklet. They include NHS staff, staff from other areas such as research, and patients and members of the public. The group looked at the research evidence available on how different treatments work, and we used this evidence to make recommendations for healthcare professionals on the best way to treat patients who have had a stroke. 2

5 What is this booklet about? This booklet explains: ~ ~ what happens to your body when you have a stroke; ~ ~ how healthcare professionals can work with you to try to prevent or manage any complications caused by your stroke; ~ ~ what treatment and support health-care professionals can offer you to make the best of your recovery from a stroke; ~ ~ how you will be involved in preparations for leaving hospital; and ~ ~ where you can get more information about a stroke. The booklet does not cover: ~ ~ information on assessments and investigations used to diagnose a stroke; ~ ~ treatment for a stroke within the first few days; or ~ ~ advice on preventing another stroke. You can find that information in the SIGN booklet on stroke assessment at or you can ask us for a hard copy by phoning

6 What happens to my body when I have a stroke? Your brain is made up of cells and nerves that are finely tuned to control your body. They are responsible for activities which: ~ ~ you control, such as walking, thinking and talking; and ~ ~ you are not aware of, such as seeing and involuntary movements like blinking. A stroke is caused when the flow of blood to the brain is stopped by: ~ ~ a blocked blood vessel (ischaemic stroke); or ~ ~ a burst blood vessel causing a bleed (haemorrhage) into the brain. As a result, brain cells and nerves do not receive the oxygen and nutrients they need to work normally. Some brain cells become damaged and others die. It is not always possible to find out what caused a stroke. 4

7 How might a stroke affect me? Every stroke is different. How a stroke affects you will depend on which area of the brain has been damaged and how badly it has been damaged. It will also depend on how well you respond to treatment and to rehabilitation. Rehabilitation is a programme of care and activities to help people recover from an accident or an illness. A stroke may cause a loss of movement, for example it may affect an arm or a leg, one side of your face or one side of your body. You may experience odd sensations including numbness down one side of your body or a tingling feeling leading to problems or difficulties with: ~ ~ using your arms or hands; ~ ~ keeping your balance and walking; ~ ~ swallowing and eating; ~ ~ speaking (including slurring words or not being able to find the right words to say) and understanding what other people are saying; ~ ~ thinking (cognition); ~ ~ seeing properly; ~ ~ pain; ~ ~ controlling your bladder or bowels; ~ ~ your mood or being very emotional; and ~ ~ your confidence. 5

9 Where will I be cared for? Everyone who has a stroke will be referred as an urgent case to stroke services. This will happen whether you ve had a mild stroke or a severe stroke. Almost everyone who has a stroke needs to be admitted to hospital for urgent tests and treatment. You will need to be admitted to hospital if your stroke is disabling, for example you have problems moving or swallowing. Depending on the services offered at your local hospital and the type of stroke you have had, you are likely to be cared for in a specialist stroke unit. If this is not possible, you will be cared for in a general or rehabilitation ward. If you have had a mild stroke, care and rehabilitation may also be arranged in an outpatient ward or in your own home. After a stroke, the aim of rehabilitation is to help you overcome or cope with the damage caused by your stroke. You will be helped to relearn or adapt skills so that you can be as independent as possible. Your rehabilitation team will regularly review your progress with you. Health-care professionals will make sure they discuss your care and rehabilitation with you, your family and carers. They will also make sure that the care and rehabilitation you receive is based on your own needs. Everyone s experience of a stroke is different and it is difficult to know how long it will take you to recover. The team looking after you will be happy to discuss this with you and your family or carers. 7

10 Who will be involved in my care? You will be cared for by a rehabilitation team. This is a team of healthcare and social-care professionals (often called a multidisciplinary team) who are specially trained in caring for people who have had a stroke. They will work with you and your family or carers. 8

11 Your team should include: ~ ~ nurses; ~ ~ doctors; ~ ~ physiotherapists; ~ ~ occupational therapists; ~ ~ speech and language therapists; ~ ~ dietitians; ~ ~ psychologists; and ~ ~ social workers. Your team can also involve other specialists. Your rehabilitation team will work with you to plan a programme of activities. The programme will be based on your needs. Rehabilitation will continue when you leave hospital. Your rehabilitation team will meet regularly to discuss: ~ ~ how you re improving; ~ ~ setting goals for your rehabilitation; ~ ~ any problems you may be having; and ~ ~ planning to discharge you when you no longer need care. It s important that you and your family or carers are involved in your rehabilitation. It may be helpful to meet with your team to talk about goals you would like to set and any problems you might be having. 9

12 How can complications be prevented? Some people may have complications after a stroke. Complications can include: ~ ~ blood clots in your legs; ~ ~ pressure ulcers (bed sores); and ~ ~ chest and urinary tract infections. Your rehabilitation team will work with you to prevent or manage any complications. They will pay close attention to the position of your body while you are unable to get out of bed. They will help you to move your arms and legs as soon as possible after your stroke. This will help keep your muscles toned and prevent complications. Blood clots If your stroke was caused by a blocked blood vessel (ischaemic stroke), you will be given aspirin for the first two weeks after your stroke. Aspirin is a blood-thinning medicine that helps to prevent your blood from clotting. Blood clots can happen because a stroke makes you less active. As you start to become active again, the risk of blood clots reduces. You should have another assessment after the first two weeks to find out if you are still at risk of developing a clot. If there is still a risk and you need to keep taking a blood-thinning medicine, you may be given extra blood-thinning medicine such as heparin. Heparin is given to you by an injection. 10

13 Pressure ulcers (bed sores) One of the most common effects of a stroke is not being able to move part or all of your body. Not being able to move can increase the chance of pressure ulcers forming. If you find it difficult to move when you are in bed, a member of your rehabilitation team will help you. To assess your risk of developing pressure ulcers, your rehabilitation team will examine your skin regularly. Infections Infections such as chest infection and urinary tract infections are common during stroke rehabilitation. Health-care professionals will make sure any suspected infections are investigated and treated straight away. 11

14 What if I find it difficult to move my arm or hand? One of the common symptoms of a stroke is losing the movement of part of your body. You may find that you have difficulty moving one arm, or one leg, or all of one side of your body. This can make something that used to be easy, such as dressing, very difficult. Your rehabilitation team will give you exercises and work with you to help you to get back control of your arm movements. Exercises will also prevent your muscles from becoming stiff and tense. 12

15 There are different types of therapies which you may be offered to help you get back the movement of your arm including: ~ ~ constraint-induced movement therapy - carrying out daily tasks and exercises with the affected arm while wearing a sling to prevent movement in your unaffected arm; and ~ ~ mental practice - imagining and feeling that you re doing the movement in your head. If you have problems moving your shoulder, your shoulder joint may become partially dislocated. Your rehabilitation team can assess whether this is likely to happen to you. If there is a chance your shoulder might become partially dislocated, the rehabilitation team will take steps to prevent it from happening. 13

16 What if I have trouble with balance and walking? You may find that keeping your balance and walking are difficult after a stroke. Your physiotherapist may suggest some different types of training or devices that can help you become confident about walking. Some of these types of treatment and devices are shown in the table below. You will be asked to take part in an assessment to find out which will be best for you. Types of therapy that may improve walking Ankle foot orthoses Physical fitness training Treadmill training Muscle strength training braces placed on the ankle and foot to improve balance and walking a regular, planned exercise routine, for example, walking or weight training increasing your walking speed, if you are able to walk at the start of your treatment exercises to build up muscle strength Repetitive task training Functional electrical simulation repeated everyday tasks such as going from sitting in a chair to standing small electrical currents activate nerves in parts of the body affected by a stroke to improve drop-foot (difficulty in moving the ankle and toes upward) 14

17 What if I have difficulty swallowing and eating? Sometimes the physical effects of a stroke can cause people to have difficulty swallowing and eating. Before you have anything to eat or drink, a health-care professional will give you a water-swallowing test to see if you can swallow water. If you do have problems swallowing, you may be given fluids through an intravenous (IV) drip into a blood vessel in your arm. You will be referred to a health-care professional skilled in managing swallowing problems. In most cases this will be a speech and language therapist. They will carry out a more detailed assessment to decide the best way to manage your swallowing difficulty. In some cases it is not safe to eat or drink at all and you may have to be given food through a nasogastric (NG) tube which goes up your nose and down your throat into your stomach. Sometimes it is safe to continue eating and drinking some, but not all, consistencies of food and drink. You will be given information about how to make food easier to eat and details of what you should avoid to make your swallowing safer and prevent choking. If after one week you are still having difficulty swallowing, you will be assessed to see if you should be referred to a swallowing rehabilitation programme. This involves exercises to strengthen the muscles used in swallowing. If you find it difficult to eat, there is a risk of becoming undernourished (not getting the right types or amount of food). Within 48 hours of arriving in hospital, you should be assessed to check if you are at risk of becoming undernourished. This will be checked again at regular times during your recovery. If you are undernourished, you should be referred to a dietitian who can advise you on what food you need. You may also be considered for food supplements. 15

18 What if I have trouble speaking and understanding? Aphasia Sometimes people find it difficult to communicate after having a stroke. It can be difficult to talk and express yourself. It can also be hard for you to understand what people are saying to you. This is called aphasia. Aphasia can affect your ability to talk, write and understand speech and writing. If you have aphasia, you will be referred to a speech and language therapist. You should have speech and language therapy for at least two hours a week. You may need therapy for at least six months. Your rehabilitation team could refer you to voluntary groups such as Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland (CHSS) volunteer stroke service, if you want. The volunteers help people improve their communication. Other voluntary groups may offer help too. You can find a list of groups that can help on page 30. Dysarthria Some people experience a condition called dysarthria after a stroke. Dysarthria is slow, distorted or slurred speech caused by weak muscles. If you have dysarthria, you should be referred to speech and language therapy. This will help to improve your speech. 16

19 What if I have problems with my ability to think? Stroke can affect people s ability to think (cognition). Skills such as language, recognising familiar faces and objects and the ability to learn new information can be affected. Memory and concentration can also be affected. The effect a stroke has on your ability to think will depend on the type of stroke you had and your general health before you had a stroke. Neuropsychological services may assess your thinking skills by looking at the relationship between your brain and mental functions such as language and memory. The information from the assessment will help your rehabilitation team to understand your strengths and weaknesses in relation to thinking. This will help when the rehabilitation team work with you to set goals as part of your rehabilitation plan. 17

20 What if I have problems with my eyesight? Problems with eyesight are common after a stroke. There are different types of problems. You might not be able see everything. You may be able to see things on one side, but not on the other. You might have blurred or double vision. You may have difficulty reading. Eyesight problems not caused by your stroke can also make your recovery more difficult. Eyesight problems can make it more difficult to move about, get on with day-to-day tasks and to carry out your rehabilitation properly. Health-care professionals should check if you have any eyesight problems and refer you to a specialist if this is necessary. They should also check to make sure that you are wearing the correct type of glasses. 18

21 If I have pain, how will it be managed? Some people experience pain after a stroke. You may have pain because you cannot move easily. Health-care professionals should ask you if you have pain and find out how severe your pain is. They should treat your pain as soon as possible. Central post-stroke pain A small number of stroke patients notice a shooting, throbbing pain known as central post-stroke pain (CPSP) for some time after they have had a stroke. CPSP is felt in the area of your body affected by your stroke. This can include your face, arm, leg or your trunk. This pain does not always appear straight after a stroke. Sometimes there is a gap between the stroke and when this type of pain appears. CPSP cannot easily be treated with painkillers but other medicines may help. For example, antidepressants (drugs used to treat depression) particularly amitriptyline can also help to control pain. If this does not help or if you can t take amitriptyline, your health-care professional may suggest a different medicine, for example lamotrigine or carbamazepine. These medicines are used to treat epilepsy but can also help to control pain. Your health-care professionals should discuss the side effects with you. Shoulder pain Some people develop a type of shoulder pain called hemiplegic shoulder pain after a stroke. Hemiplegic shoulder pain can happen when one side of your body becomes paralysed or weak. You should be offered a treatment that suits you and the type of shoulder pain you have. 19

22 What if I cannot control my bladder and bowels? Urinary incontinence (bladder weakness) Many people experience urinary incontinence after a stroke. Urinary incontinence means you cannot control your bladder. If you have this problem, health-care professionals will assess your condition and suggest appropriate treatment. Your health-care team will record the results of your urinary incontinence assessment. They should discuss your results and treatment with you and, if appropriate, your family and carers. They should talk about any effects incontinence might have, for example on your daily life. Faecal incontinence (not being able to control bowel movements) Faecal incontinence is when you are not able to control bowel movements. Sometimes people have faecal incontinence after a stroke. Health-care professionals will assess this and plan treatment. This treatment should fit in with your life. It should take into account your lifestyle and preferences in terms of care. It is important that health-care professionals give you and those looking after you the information and support you need. 20

23 How will I feel? You may find it difficult to control your emotions after a stroke. It is not unusual to have feelings of anger, despair, frustration, grief, anxiety and depression. These are normal responses to your new situation. If you have these types of feelings all the time, they can affect how well you recover and respond to rehabilitation. It s important to talk to health-care professionals about your feelings so that they can help you. Health-care professionals will check to see if you have a disorder of your emotions, such as depression. They should check shortly after you ve had a stroke and regularly after that. To help them do this, they might ask you to fill in a questionnaire. If health-care professionals think that you might have a disorder of your emotions, they should refer you to a specialist for a full assessment. If you have been diagnosed with depression, or if you cry or laugh for no reason (emotionalism), you may be offered treatment with antidepressant medicine. The side effects of medicines should be discussed with you. You should also be offered other treatments such as talking-based therapy. 21

24 How will I be involved in plans for leaving hospital? You will be assessed for what support you will need after you leave hospital. Health-care professionals will work with you and your family or carers to plan for when you leave. You may need some changes to your home, or you may need to have some specialist equipment installed. This should be done before you leave hospital. If necessary, a health-care professional should visit your home with you before you leave hospital. You can talk about what changes might be needed, for example handrails or support frames for your bath and toilet. Before you leave hospital, your GP and the healthcare staff working in your community should receive information (a discharge summary) from the hospital. The discharge summary will give the community team all the information they need to help you at home. You will be offered information and advice about your care at home. You should also be given the phone number of someone, such as a stroke liaison worker to call if you need more help. 22

25 After you leave hospital, health-care professionals will continue to support you at home. If you are having any problems, you should contact your stroke liaison worker. They can put you in touch with other health-care professionals. Early supported discharge If you had a stroke that was not too severe, you may be offered ESD (early supported discharge). The ESD team is made up of specialist rehabilitation professionals. They help you have a smooth return home. They also help to make sure you can continue your rehabilitation at home. Rehabilitation at home If you have not been admitted to hospital or if you have ESD, you will still receive support with your recovery. Your rehabilitation team will involve you and your family or carers. They will help you to draw up a care plan and decide what rehabilitation support you need, for example physiotherapy. They will also review your long-term rehabilitation needs. When you have made as much recovery as the team think is possible, they will stop seeing you regularly. You will always be able to see them again if you have any questions or problems. 23

26 Will I be able to have sex after I ve had a stroke? Having a stroke does not mean that you can no longer have sex. A stroke can make you feel tired and anxious. It can also affect your confidence, body image and sense of self worth. All these things can affect your sexual relationships. Some medicines may also make you feel less interested in sex. Sometimes people are afraid that having sex will cause them to have another stroke. This is not true. You can have sex again as soon as you feel ready. Health-care professionals will be able to give you information and advice. 24

27 How can I get back to work after a stroke? Early in your rehabilitation you should be able to talk to someone about getting back to work. With your agreement, health-care professionals can contact your employer. Together, you can decide what assessments and therapy might help you to return to work. You may be put in touch with a disability employment advisor at a local Job Centre Plus office. There are also voluntary organisations that can provide help and support to get you back to work. You may be referred to a social worker who would give you advice about your legal rights and claiming benefits. 25

28 Can I drive after a stroke? There are laws governing whether people can drive after they ve had a stroke. These rules are summarised in a booklet published by the DVLA (Driving and Vehicle Licensing Agency) and are available on their website. You can also phone or write to the DVLA for this information. You can find contact details on page 34. After a stroke you cannot drive for at least a month. After a month, you can only drive if your doctor is confident that you ve made a satisfactory recovery. If you have not made a satisfactory recovery within one month after a stroke, you must tell the DVLA. They will ask you to fill in a form to find out if it is safe for you to drive. They may ask your GP or another health-care professional for a report on your condition and whether they consider it safe for you to drive. You can only begin driving again after this assessment has been carried out. If health-care professionals are not sure if you are well enough to drive, they should refer you to the local Disabled Drivers Assessment Centre. You can get details of where to find this from the DVLA. You will also need to tell your insurance company that you have had a stroke. 26

29 Is there a risk I will have another stroke? There is a risk that you will have another stroke. If you think that you are having another stroke, you or your family or carer can use the FAST (face, arm, speech, time) test to check if you are having another stroke. Face Can you smile? Does one side droop? Arm Can you lift both arms? Is one weak? Speech Is your speech slurred or muddled? Time To call 999. If you already have some of these symptoms because of a first stroke, you should check if they are worse. If they are worse, you should call

30 What information will I need? Every person s recovery from a stroke is different. People need different information at different stages of their recovery. You may find it difficult to remember information. Sometimes you may not know what sort of information you need or would like. Your rehabilitation team should give you information about your stroke and rehabilitation. They should repeat the information as often as you need it. The information should be given in different ways. For example, if you have aphasia or problems with your sight, you should be offered leaflets that are easy to read, or information on CD or DVD. It is a good idea to make notes about your recovery and about how your stroke has affected you. Making notes can help you: ~ ~ see how you re getting on; ~ ~ think about what information you need; ~ ~ ask questions; and ~ ~ remember who to contact if you need more help. Information for families and carers Health-care professionals should involve your family or carers in your care. The rehabilitation team should find out what help and support families or carers need. Your family and carers should receive: ~ ~ advice on where to get support, such as their doctor s surgery and voluntary organisations; ~ ~ training to help them meet your needs; and ~ ~ ongoing practical information. 28

31 You and your family or carers may find it helpful to talk to someone who knows about strokes or to people who have had a similar experience. Voluntary organisations offer support for people who have had a stroke and for their families. They can also provide more detailed information in different formats. Contact details for some of these organisations are at the end of the booklet. Your GP or practice nurse will also be able to give you contact numbers for local voluntary organisations who can help you and your family. 29

32 Sources of information National organisations for people who have had a stroke. Aphasia Now Website: People with aphasia helping each other to become independent, communicate with other people with aphasia and overcome it together. Aphasia Help Website: Explains about stroke and aphasia. Chest, Heart and Stroke Scotland Third Floor, Rosebery House 9 Haymarket Terrace Edinburgh EH12 5EZ Phone: Fax: Advice Line: Website: Offers support, advice and information for patients, family members and carers. Booklets, fact sheets, DVDs and videos are available from their website. Some of these are available in other languages. Connect: the communication disability network Marshalsea Road London SE1 1HL Phone: Website: Work to support and improve the lives of people living with aphasia. They provide information for people with aphasia and those caring for them. 30

33 Different Strokes (Scotland) 53 Elmore Avenue Glasgow G44 5BH Phone: Helpline: ; ( from outside the UK) Website: Help people of working age recover if they have had a stroke. They provide support and information. Speakability 1 Royal Street London SE1 7LL Helpline: Website: Offer support and information for people living with aphasia and those caring for them. Stroke Association Links House, 15 Links Place Edinburgh EH6 7EZ Phone: Fax: National stroke helpline: Website: Funds research into stroke and produce information for health-care professionals and patients. 31

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Treating Mesothelioma - A Quick Guide Contents This is a brief summary of the information on Treating mesothelioma from CancerHelp UK. You will find more detailed information on the website. In this information

Treatments and therapies Physiotherapy and Parkinson s People with Parkinson s may find that they have problems with everyday movements such as walking, or getting in and out of a chair or bed. This information

Enhanced recovery programme (ERP) for patients undergoing bowel surgery Information for patients, relatives and carers An enhanced recovery programme (ERP) has been established at Imperial College Healthcare

Patient Information and Daily Programme for Patients Having Whipple s Surgery (Pancreatico duodenectomy) Date of admission Date of surgery Expected Length of Stay in hospital We will aim to discharge you

Preoperative Education: CERVICAL SPINE SURGERY 1 Dear Patient, In order to make your hospital stay as comfortable as possible, we have prepared this informational packet for you designed to outline and

Colon Cancer Surgery and Recovery A Guide for Patients and Families This Booklet You are receiving this booklet because you will be having surgery shortly. This booklet tells you what to do before, during,

OS01 Total Hip Replacement Further information You can get more information and share your experience at www.aboutmyhealth.org Local information You can get information locally from: Taunton and Somerset

What is a Stroke? A stroke or brain attack occurs when blood flow to the brain is cut off or reduced. Brain cells die or are damaged. There are two types of stroke: One type happens when a blood clot blocks

Surgery for breast cancer in men This information is an extract from the booklet Understanding breast cancer in men. You may find the full booklet helpful. We can send you a free copy see page 9. Contents

Femoral artery bypass graft (Including femoral crossover graft) Why do I need the operation? You have a blockage or narrowing of the arteries supplying blood to your leg. This reduces the blood flow to

CHAPTER 1 WHERE TO BEGIN? Your loved one has just survived a stroke. A great deal of information will be coming at you at once. Focus on the stroke survivor s immediate needs. This section outlines important

Stroke Helpline: 0303 3033 100 Website: stroke.org.uk Complaining about a health service Most people receive excellent care and treatment after having a stroke. However, sometimes things don t go as well

My eye surgery support plan Introduction Version 1 June 2013 Introduction People with learning disabilities are 10 times more likely to have sight problems but less likely to have eye surgery. Eye surgery

Information about pain management services Introduction You have been referred to the pain management service at Guy s and St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust. This leaflet aims to give you an overview of our

Deciding what to do about osteoarthritis of the knee This short decision aid is to help you decide what to do about your knee osteoarthritis. You can use it on your own, or with your doctor, to help you

Family Caregiver Guide Emergency Room (ER) Visits: A Family Caregiver s Guide Your family member may someday have a medical emergency and need to go to a hospital Emergency Room (ER), which is also called

CP Factsheet Cerebral Palsy and Visual Impairment Although cerebral palsy mainly causes difficulty with movement, other conditions may also occur. This is because other parts of the brain may also be affected

SCOTLAND S BLOOD PRESSURE MATTERS We are Scotland s Health Charity Help us look after Scotland s health now Let s take action to beat chest, heart and stroke illness in Scotland. High blood pressure is

What is dementia? Dementia is the name for several conditions that lead to the progressive loss of the powers of the brain and changes in a person s behaviour. The most common change is in a person s memory,